Marine bumper and method of making the same



Patented May 7, 1946 MARINE BUMPER AND METHOD 0F MAKING THE SAME LutherCobb, Miami, Fla., assgnor `to F. P. Briscoe, Miami, Fla.

Application March 12, 1945, serial No; 582,269

6 Claims.

This invention relates to bumpers of the type used on boats, barges,wharves, and the like for the purpose of absorbing shocks when a,floating structure is brought into position.

Heretofore these bumpers generally have been formed of heavy mats formedof rope.

An object of the present invention is to produce an improved bumper moreeliicient than the ones commonly employed and which is made of amaterial which generally is considered a waste product.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details ofconstruction and combination of parts hereinafter more fully describedand pointed out in the claims, it being understood that changes may be`made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing fromthe spirit of the invention as claimed.

In the accompanying drawing the preferred form of the invention has beenshown.

In said drawing Figure 1 is a perspe tive view showing the initial stepsfollowed in the production of a bumper.

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the bumper increased in bulk by theaddition of material thereto.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the completed bumper.

Figure 4 is a view partly in section and partly in perspective of aportion of one of the elements used in the formation of the bumper.

The material used in the construction of the bumper comprises the beador rim portions of tire casings or carcasses such as used on automobilesand trucks. After these casings have become useless because of wear,both of the beads or rims are severed from the remainder of the tire sothat two circular rings are thus formed each of which generally containswire and cord aswell as fabric and rubber. After there has been produceda sufficient number of rings to meet the requirements, each of saidrings is placed in engagement with an anchoring means such as a xed hookor the like and is then stretched by means of another hook placed in thering and pulled away from the lixed ring. Because of the materialcontained in the rings, the stretching of the rings will causedistortion thereof from their normally round shapes to elongatedelliptical shapes. One of these elongated loops is inserted through aring I or the like supported by any suitable means and is folded. Afolded elongated ring has been shown at 2. A second elongated ring orloop, indicated at 3, is then inserted through the rst loop and thisoperation is continued until a chain of rings of a desired length hasbeen produced. 'Ihereafter bulk can be added to the chain byinterweaving other loops therewith. For example, an additional elongatedloop can be inserted between the ends of loop 3 and at right angles tothe next loop 4 thereunder so that that portion of the loop 4 bridgingthe loop 3 will serve as a support for the transversely insertedsupplemental loop 5. One or more of the loops can then be insertedIbetween the end portions of loop 4 and through the end portions of loop5,

as indicated at 6, these latter loops being supported not only by theloop 4 but also by the loop 5 and by that portion of the next loop 1which had been threaded through the loop 4 in the formation of theinitial chain. This arrangement can be followed indefinitely and anydesired `number of loops can be used, it merely being essential that allof the lower loops of the bumper be engaged by a tie device. In Fig. 3this tie device is in the form of a single elongated loop 8 threadedthrough al1 of the lower intertwined loops and, in turn, having its endsconnected by a ring 9 or other holding means.

In Fig. 4 a portion of one of the loops has been shown and by referringthereto it will be noted that the material embodied in the bead or rimportion of a tire and forming the loop will, in itself, afford greattensile strength as well as cushioning resistance. By interlacing orinterweaving a number of these loops so as to produce a bumper havingthe requisite bulk an excellent cushioning effect will be obtained, aswill be obvious and the resultant bumper will be far superior both inits cushioning action and in its resistance to wear, to any bumperheretofore employed which is formed of rope.

If desired a bumper in the form of a pad can be formed of a number ofthese chain bumpers, it merely being necessary to lace together thechain bumpers after they have been placed t0- gether side by side. A matthus formed can be made of any proportions desired.

What is claimed is:

1. A marine bumper comprising a plurality of intertting links formed oftire beads.

2. A marine bumper including a chain formed of endless elongated loops,each loop comprising an endless tire bead.

3. A marine bumper in the form of a resilient cushioning chain andcomprising a plurality of elongated endless tire beads positioned inregular succession, each bead being looped through a next adjoining beadand supported thereby.

4. A resilientl cushioning bumper comprising a plurality of elongatedloops each consisting of the rim portion of a tire, each of said loopsbeing folded and each loop .being extended through and supported by thenext adjoining loop thereabove.

5. The herein described method of producing a marine bumper whichincludes the steps of severing from rubber tires the rim portionsthereof to produce normally circular rings, stretching all of the ringsto shape them into elongated endless loops, folding one of the loops,inserting an elongated loop into the folded loop for support thereby,and joining the ends of the last inserted loop to hold said loop againstWithdrawal from the loop in which it isV seated.

Cil

6. The method of producing a cushioning bumper for marine purposes whichincludes the step of severing the rim portions of automobile tires toform normally circular rings, stretching the rings to distort them intoelongated endless loops, folding one of the loops adjacent to itscenter, inserting a plurality of enlongated loops through the endportions of the folded loop to bridge the space between said endportions, inserting other elongated loops over the bridging portion, andinserting an elongated loop through all of the free end portions ofinserted loops to draw them together, and nally connecting the ends ofthe loop last inserted.

LUTHER. COBB.

